A Tale of Two Chickens

by Erin and Xani

It was the best of times, it was the worst of times. Oh wait, sorry - it was the best of chickens? That it certainly was. A few weeks ago, Xani was shopping at our local (read: crappy) grocery store and came upon some fresh, free-range, organic chickens! A miracle, indeed. She was kind enough to buy an extra for me, and we both cooked them in our own ways. These are their stories [cue Law & Order music]:

Erin's Chicken

For my chicken I used one of the easiest methods of chicken-roasting I have seen. It is Thomas Keller's recipe for his famous roast chicken, and it could not be simpler.

Chef Keller says one of the tricks to his awesome roast chicken is to try to eliminate all moisture from the bird. The less moisture you have, the less steam you have when it cooks, and thus the bird will be super-crispy when it's done. Interesting side note: I read on the Amateur Gourmet that Jacques Pepin once said, regarding whether to wash a chicken: "The heat kills all the germs. If bacteria could survive that oven, it deserves to kill me." Chef Keller says to rinse and dry the bird, but Jacques may have a point here...

Anyway, once the bird is rinsed and dried, you season the cavity with lots of salt and pepper. Then you are supposed to truss the bird. As long-time readers will know, I like butchering and trussing, etc., but I did not have any string in my ill-equipped kitchen. Oh no! So, I just flipped the wings back to tuck them in a little more, and continued with the recipe with an untrussed, free, "let the sunshine in" bird.

Wings tucked back and ready for take-off

Then I salted the bird thoroughly and ground some pepper over it. I put it in a 450 degree oven for about an hour until the legs wiggled easily and the juices ran clear. (That is my one criticism of this recipe: he says "roast until done." Luckily, I know what to look for, but it would have been nice for him to be more specific.) I would have liked to cook it a bit longer but there was a lot of smoke coming out of the oven and I was tired of flailing around with my dish towel trying to make the smoke alarm cease its wailing.

Done and resting!

Anyway, once out of the oven, I let it rest for 15 minutes or so, and then began to carve. I am still working on my carving skills, but I think I did a pretty good job! Another thing I like about this recipe is that Chef Keller gives a brief overview of all the good parts to eat when carving - all the chef's treats, such as the "pope's nose" (chicken butt!) and the "oysters" on the underside of the bird. A-mazing. I tell you, by the time I was done carving this bird, I really wasn't hungry for dinner!

Guess what?

It was a delicious experience, and very simple to do. Plus, it was enough for dinners all week (though, admittedly, I didn't want to see another chicken for a while afterwards...)! Thanks Chef Keller!

Xani's Chicken

My chicken "strategy" (more than an actual recipe) was from Nigella Lawson's How to Be a Domestic Goddess. She opens the book with some nice little stories about the wonderful memories of food her mother used to make, including simple roast chicken. And I feel the same way! Roast chicken was one of our staple meals growing up. I'm sure because it's tasty, quick, and easy, and considering both BCD Mom and Dad worked long hours when we were young, easy and quick were very important qualities for dinner! Putting the already cleaned and seasoned bird into the oven was one of the first cooking tasks I remember being assigned as a youngster... ah, memories!

naked birdie, all tied up...

Anyhow, like EP, I also rinsed and dried my bird, but UNlike EP, I let my sit for a couple hours at room temp to get it to really dry out (to help the crisping effect). After it's rest, the thing was, in Xani-Erin-speak, "totes floppo." Meaning that it was very... relaxed. It definitely needed to be trussed! So, after shoving half a lemon up the bird's rear (Nigella's suggestion) I broke out some butchers twine and used my mediocre trussing skills to get the birdie back into shape! I also slathered it with a mixture of softened butter and olive oil, and tons of kosher salt and fresh ground pepper. Then into the oven it went! Fifteen minutes at 425, then decrease to 350 and roast for 15 minutes per pound. When the time was up, my chicken was perfect! Crispy, golden brown skin, moist, flavorful meat, and nice roasted bones (that I used to make stock a few days later). And, unlike my experience with the Thomas Keller recipe, my kitchen didn't fill with smoke and set off the fire alarms-- bonus!

a thing of beauty...

is a joy forever (or until devoured)

While my chicken cooked I also whipped up a version of another BCD childhood favorite-- mushroom pilaf. I used this recipe which Israeli coucous (which is seriously in the running for my new favorite starch) instead of rice, a mixture of button mushroom and dried (rehydrated) shitake mushrooms, and homemade chicken stock. I made it extra-mushroom-y but incorporating the soaking liquid from the shitakes into the cooking liquid, and finishing with just a hint of black truffle oil. It was DIVINE.

rehydrated shitakes

pretty pilaf

the finished plate

Roast chicken + mushroom pilaf = classic winter comfort food... glad to be enjoying it on the tail end of winter (fingers crossed). A tribute to the season and a walk down memory lane, all in one.

Happy chicken roasting!

EP & X

Tweet, Drink and Be Merry!

Along with our Facebook Group (I Need My Black Coffee and a Donut), we are now on Twitter! Not all of our tweets are food related (but honestly, we're thinking about food 90+ percent of the time, so the odds are good), but we'll definitely use Twitter to let you know when new posts are up, when we've found a new hot restaurant, or when we've eaten so many hot dogs, we've fallen into a meat-coma.

So, please use the links below to follow us!
http://twitter.com/x_factor
http://twitter.com/E_Pod

Happy twittering (tweetering?)!

X & EP

More Home Cookin': Risotto Two Ways

by Xani



I am a very lucky girl. I have a great family, an awesome home, a busy social calendar, and a wonderful job. I guess having ANY job in this economy is a wonderful thing, but mine is EXTRA wonderful-- I work with cool people on interesting issues, have a corner office with a view of Camden Yards, travel to fantastic locales, and (jealous yet??) every once in a while, one of my coworkers, knowing my love for all things culinary, brings me a foodie present. And a few weeks ago, I got a very special present indeed...



This represents only a small portion of the total amount of saffron

Saffron! Fragrant, gorgeous, expensive saffron-- and lots of it.
Saffron isn't something I necessarily keep around the house-- I've only ever bought it in those teeny, tiny little containers which cost $8 and hold approximately three strands. But now, thanks to a very generous co-worker with family in the middle east, I am absolutely RICH was saffron. I'm considering storing it in a fireproof safe. And I'm considering lots and lots of recipes which showcase its gorgeous color and aroma.



My first recipe is a classic: Risotto Milanese . It was also the perfect Pantry Raid meal to cook on a weeknight when I had invited my buddy Jason over for dinner, but had no time to hit the store. I had the onion, arborio rice, Parmesan, and homemade chicken stock on hand-- all that was left to do was a little stirring (ok, a LOT of stirring), throw together a little salad, and voila!






The recipe is pretty basic, and I've done risotto before , but the real magic here is how you steep the strands of saffron in the broth while it heats, which infuses it with the flavor and color. Then, as you gradually add it to the rice, you see it turn that gorgeous yellow color right before your eyes!





Jason and I thoroughly enjoyed our dinner (and I especially like his Iron Chef-style commentary while I cooked-- Thanks dude!), but a good portion of the risotto went uneaten. A few days later, feeling too lazy to make arancini , I opted to create a sortof "risotto kugel ." I mixed a beaten egg into the leftover risotto, spread it into a buttered (vintage) le crueset skillet, topped with bread crumbs, Parmesan cheese, and (of course) more butter, and baked in a hot oven until heated through and golden brown on top. Then I served it up in slices alongside a few pieces of The World's Best Broccoli (simply roasted at high heat with garlic, olive oil, and red chili flakes, then topped with lemon juice, zest, and Parmesan while hot out of the oven-- delicious!).






I've hardly made a dent in the saffron, so please send me your favorite ways to use this prized spice. So far I'm pretty happy with these two delicious, hearty meals that were relatively simple to make, but oh-so flavorful and perfectly cozy for a winter that just won't quit. I'm actually writing this post from Chicago (lucky me!) where the weather is still decidedly wintry... all the more reason to indulge in comfort food! Stay tuned for yummy Chicago eats!


X

Selling Ourselves for Charity

by Erin

 

This week is the Maryland Public Interest Law Program's (MPILP) annual Goods and Services Auction, a silent and live auction and annual tradition at the Law Scool.  The money raised from the auction goes to grants for students who want to work for the public interest (usually for non-profit organizations, for the indigent or disabled, etc.), and thus work for free.  These grants allow them to accept these jobs without fear of starving all summer!  Long-time readers will remember that last year, we donated a basket of goodies to the cause and had a blast doing it.

 This year, however, we've had a few requests for something different.  This year, we've donated an evening with us!  Now, get your minds out of the gutter.  We mean that we are offering an evening of eating and drinking in Baltimore for up to three people, where we'll make at least three stops: drinks, dinner, and dessert. The point is to show folks some of the best underground places to eat in our fair city.  We'll provide the transportation and the expertise (and maybe buy you a slice of pie), but otherwise it's Dutch treat.  Then, at the end, the lucky winners will be featured in a blog post!  Fame and fortune, comin' right up!

So, this is a shameless plug to encourage you to attend the auction (such a good cause!) and bid on our donation!  There will be a lot of great items/services at the auction, so please attend if you can.  Here are the details:

When: Thursday, March 5, 2009 from 6:00-9:00

Where: University of Maryland School of Law, Westminster Hall (500 W. Baltimore St.)

Cost: $40 in advance, $50 at the door, $15 for students, $25 for staff

More details here...

 

We hope to see you here!  And stay tuned for a great post about our adventures with the winner(s)!

EP

Kitchen Stadium Challenge: Lobster Pot Pie

by Erin

I know what you're thinking: "Enough with the restaurant reviews! Don't you broads cook??" Well yes, yes we do. And this past weekend we did some serious cooking. We're talking almost 6 hours straight. Lives [of lobsters and oysters] were lost, almost every pot and tool in the kitchen was used (even the chinois!), and we only made one dish!

Last weekend, Xani and I headed out to Blackacre, our parents' wonderful home on Maryland's Eastern Shore, to visit them (and the dog!) and do some serious cooking in honor of Xani's 30th birthday. We decided to attempt a dish that we have been talking about doing, literally, for years: lobster pot pie! We enjoyed this dish at Michael Mena in Vegas, and while it was very good, we felt that it had some weaknesses (soupy sauce, not thick enough for pot pie; the crust was very thin, not fluffy/flaky enough). This encouraged us to attempt it ourselves on the special occasion of Xani's big 3-0.

Xani and I left Baltimore on Saturday morning but we had to pick up a few veggies and of course, the lobsters, before we headed out to the shore. We went to Fresh World International Supermarket, a combination of Asian market and Latin market, and it was GIGANTIC with lots of exotic produce, meats, fish, and snacks. We picked up the items on our short list, including four, 2-3 lb lobsters for the pot pie.

After a quick 2-hour drive east, we arrived at Blackacre and got cooking IMMEDIATELY. The parents were not home - they were in College Park watching the Maryland Terps DEFEAT North Carolina in a fantastic basketball game!! So, Xani and I had free reign over the house and the kitchen (though not the dog - he was roaming free). We were basically following Ina Garten's LPP recipe, though she used pre-cooked lobster and fish stock. We needed to cook our lobsters and then make our own lobster stock from their shells and other yummy ingredients.

So, the game plan was to cook the lobsters, take out the meat, make the stock, make the roux/pot pie filling, cook some veggies for the pot pie, assemble and finally bake. Whew! We started the water to boil so we could cook the lobsters. While the water boiled, we prepped veggies for the lobster stock. Then it was time for the boys and girls to go into the hot tub. It still freaks me out a little to boil lobsters, but I know it's necessary and Xani tells me to just think of them as gigantic bugs so I don't feel so bad?

Anyway, once the lobsters were cooked, we took the meat out and cut up the shells to go into the stock. We used a recipe from this chowhound post as a guideline. We fried up the shells in some oil, then once they were browned up, we added veggies, vermouth, and water, and cooked it at a low heat for about 2 hours. During those two hours, we watched the aforementioned amazing Terps game.

Cutting up the shells for easier frying pre-stock

The beginnings of the stock

OMG...

Xani and Gellie enjoy the game!

After the stock was done, we strained it and set it aside and began the prep on the actual pot pie. We mostly followed Ina's recipe here but made a few changes in ingredients to fit our tastes/pantry (e.g., replacing fennel with garlic, replacing Pernod with Sherry). We started by sauteing some garlic and onions up in -- what else? -- bacon fat (we just happened to have some on hand), and then sprinkled in the flour to start the roux. After that cooked for a while to become a blonde color, we added the stock, sherry, and some salt and pepper. We watched it thicken up and look just like pot pie filling!

The roux begins...

Xani devilishly adding heavy cream

Meanwhile we cooked up some mini-potatoes to put in the pot pie (another change from Ina's recipe), and cut up the lobster meat into bite-size pieces. I had to seriously restrain myself during this part so I would not gobble it all up!

How much meat did we get out of 9 lbs of lobster?

1.5 lbs! That's it! Still delicious though...

Then it was time to put everything together. We put frozen peas and pearl onions, plus the lobster meat into the sauce to heat through. We knew it wouldn't take long for the puff pastry to cook, so we wanted everything to basically be hot when it went into the oven. We placed the potatoes in the bottom of the pan, poured the sauce with the lobster over the top, and then placed the rolled out puff pastry dough over the top of everything. We brushed it with an egg wash and into the oven it went for about 15-20 minutes.

While we were waiting for the LPP to finish, we enjoyed a first course of delicious oysters (I learned how to shuck them!), followed by a second course of Mom's famous caesar salad. Soooo good. Sooo garlicky.

Then, the pot pie was done! And it was awesome!

Plating

It had great lobster flavor from the stock and the lobster meat itself, the meat was not overcooked (a concern of ours), and the sauce inside was creamy and thick -- take that Michael Mena!! The puff pastry worked well and was light and flaky. I'm glad we didn't bother making our own dough - the recipe was complicated enough as it was! The potatoes and peas were great, but we all agreed we could do without the onions.

At the end of dinner we had a little birthday suprise for Xani: cupcakes! Mom and Dad picked them up from Touche Touchet Bakery in Columbia, and we enjoyed red velvet and yellow with chocolate icing, along with some super-strong coffee (the BCD parents use espresso beans for their coffee - yum). We also had coconut cupcakes waiting in the wings, but we were too full and never got to them. They were left in the garage (staging area where Dad put in the candles for the surprise), and the next morning, we discovered that Gellie ATE THEM! Wrappers and all. The box was completely in tact too. I swear he's much smarter than we give him credit for.

Guilty as sin...

What a meal! It was a lot of work but so much fun to make this dish with Xani, and enjoy it with the whole fam. Cooking in that kitchen is the best!! Next up in Kitchen Stadium: sweetbreads!

Happy 30th, Xani! I love you and I have loved celebrating with you! Here's to the next 30 - nay, 60 - years!

xoxo,
EP

ps. Before we headed out to the shore, we headed to Dunkin' Donuts because we had received coupons to try their new Waffle Breakfast Sandwich for free! Hey, sometimes it pays to be a food blogger. The verdict: the sandwich was good! We love waffles (especially Xani) and it was a nice little bite for breakfast. Sort of like a McGriddle but better, although I could do without the cheese. We got a few donuts too, as insurance (credit default swap?) just in case the sandwich was a flop, but they weren't necessary. We enjoyed them later in the day while we watched the Terps...

NYC Birthday Blowout: Part Three (with Dragons!)

by Xani

Our final day in NYC... always so bittersweet! (Mmm... bittersweet.) Um, anyway, our Sunday was jam-packed with eating plans. First stop: gotta have bagels!

Bagels!!

Deep into one of the two gigantic bags of bagels....

We walked down to Ess-a Bagels, just a few blocks from our hotel. Ess-a bagels are a favorite of the BCD family, and for years have been brought to the Podolny patriarch from NY to Connecticut, as a peace offering. This time, we bought two dozen bagels ("to go") with the intention of smuggling most of them home to MD. But we HAD to eat one, right away, straight up, hot out of the oven...

Gah! Bagels as big as your face...

Later that day, after checking out of the hotel (Goodbye Marcel at Gramercy, you are awesome!) and dumping our bags at Ann and Steven's, we cabbed it down to Chinatown for some dim sum, where we found PURE CHAOS.

Apparently that Sunday was one of the final days of the Chinese New Year celebration, meaning Chinatown was overrun with people, dragons, and drums. The roads were all blocked off and confetti and streamers were being shot into the air as the dragons danced in and out of the banks and other businesses to bring prosperity in the coming year. (Cue joke about needing a "dragon provision" in the stimulus package.) Needless to say, the dim-sum places were PACKED.

But, undaunted, we met up with not only Lauren and her friend Sarah, but also cousins Doug and Wayhwa, and their adorable son, Ethan. They were in NYC for a brief visit (after their visit to Vegas for Sheldon's birthday bash) before heading home to Beijing (note: these are the best people to have dim sum with!), and it was pure coincidence that we were in town to celebrate my birthday (again!) with me. After a wait with a crazy MOB at Jing Fong, our number was finally called and we took an escalator up, up, up to a huge dining room exactly like the ones I remember from my trips to Hong Kong. Big tables, brightly lit, and the all-important carts roaming around the restaurant. One of the best things about dim sum is that the food hits the table before you even get your coat off...

I won't even try to recap everything we ate. As you can see, the table was overloaded with food. It just kept coming and coming... and everything was delicious! Dumplings with all kinds of filling, hargow, shumai, little fried savory pastries, chicken feet, chinese broccoli, something resembling gefilte fish, the best sweet and sour pork ever, and more and more until we couldn't eat another bite! While stuffing ourselves, we heard the sound of drums from outside getting louder and louder, until finally the drums (and accompanying dragon) were in the restaurant, dancing and drumming and driving away the evil spirits. It was quite a scene, and it was LOUD... all conversation ceased until the dragons and drums made their exit. We followed shortly after, having enjoyed a wonderful meal and experience with great friends and family!

Dragon blessing the owner of the restaurant

We strolled through Chinatown and into Soho, when Ann realized we were just around the corner from Eileen's Special Cheesecake, an NYC landmark for tasty desserts. We picked up a few coffees and a selection of their cheesecake "minis" and headed back to Ann and Steven's for -- what else -- a mini-cheesecake tasting.

Theme of the weekend :)

We got five flavors: classic plain, oreo, raspberry, chocolate, and espresso. The cake was light and fluffy, not super-dense like some other cheesecakes. It seems like this is one of those culinary fights like soft v. hard matzo balls and NYC v. Chicago-style pizza. Everyone's got a preference and is fiercely loyal to it. I enjoyed the fluffy cheesecake, which had a nice, substantial crust. All of them had lovely flavors. The only criticism was that the espresso one was more chocolate-y than coffee-y. Ah well. It was a nice, sweet treat to end our time in the Big Apple, and a NY classic at that!

I cannot say thank you enough to all my friends and family who made this birthday weekend (and the weeks of celebration before and after) so fun and fabulous. I love you all!

We heart NY, and will be back soon, probably in May after EP's exams and graduation. We've already started compiling the list of places to hit up next time!!


xoxo

X